BROCKTON - Officials delayed the dismissal time at two elementary schools Wednesday after a police chase ended with the suspect’s car being abandoned near one of the schools, police said. The 3 p.m. chase led school officials to place the George School at 180 Colonel Bell Drive and the Angelo School at 472 North Main St. into lockdown as a precautionary measure as police searched for the suspects, officials said. The suspect was identified by police Wednesday afternoon but no arrest had been made, Lt. Mark Porcaro said. Students were kept inside classrooms with their teachers, officials said. “We had a short pursuit and (the suspect) left their car on Coventry (Circle),” police Lt. Robert Sergio said Wednesday afternoon. “We’re being overcautious.” About 906 students at the George School were dismissed at 4 p.m., about an hour after regular dismissal time, officials said. About 790 students at the Angelo School were dismissed about 15 minutes after regular dismissal time. A total of twelve buses carrying students – seven at the George School and five at the Angelo – resumed their regular routes after the delay. The chase began about 3 p.m. in downtown Brockton, Sergio said. The suspect fled on foot after leaving his car at Coventry Circle, which is near the George School, located off Belair Street. “He left the car there and we just found the car parked. They’re just delaying the dismissal for a little while,” Sergio said, adding that police had not captured the suspect as of 4 p.m. Neighbors came out of their houses as at least three police cruisers responded to the George School, one witness said. Several parents, who had arrived at the school to pick up their children, were stuck in a traffic jam. The School Department sent out three automated telephone messages to parents as the situation unfolded. “Brockton police are currently engaged in an active car chase to the city’s north side,” one message informed parents. “As a precaution, we are holding dismissal of students to ensure safety.”

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